TrueView video ad formats

TrueView video ads give YouTube viewers the ability to choose which video ads they want to watch and when – meaning you won’t pay for unwanted views.

There are two types of TrueView ads (known as formats):

In-stream ads run before, during, or after videos on YouTube or on video partner sites and apps. They give viewers the option to skip the ad after 5 seconds. These ads help you drive awareness for your brand and products while people are watching a video.

Video discovery ads appear in places where viewers discover content, like on YouTube search results, next to related videos, and on the YouTube mobile homepage. They invite people to click on a thumbnail to watch your video ad and help surface your videos to an interested audience.

You can create TrueView ads in Google Ads using the “Video” campaign type.

How you're charged

With TrueView in-stream ads, you pay when a viewer watches 30 seconds of your video (or the duration if it's shorter than 30 seconds) or interacts with your video, whichever comes first. With TrueView video discovery ads, you pay when someone clicks on your ad to watch the video. This means that you will only pay when someone chooses to engage with your ad.